"Of course, of course there are artillery in the arsenal!" Belkin replied excitedly: "There are 26 artillery pieces, all of which are 76.2mm cannons."
"What, there are 26?" Karsokov said in surprise: "In addition to the four artillery guns from the artillery company sent by the headquarters, that is to say, the number of artillery we now has reached 30. By the way, comrade of the deputy brigade commander, how many artillery shells are there?"
"Since we didn't find the registration book, we couldn't determine the number of shells in the arsenal." Belkin looked at Sokov and said, "But in my estimate, each gun is more than enough to be equipped with two base shells."
Sokov thought that the Soviet army's ZIS-3 type 76.2mm cannon, one base of ammunition is 60 rounds of shells, and the two bases are 120 rounds. If the 30 guns are equipped with two bases, that is 3,600 rounds of shells, which is enough to provide sufficient artillery support to the frontier troops in a medium-sized battle.
"By the way, that artillery company assigned to the first battalion has only 20 shells per artillery." Sokov suddenly remembered the artillery company with severely insufficient ammunition and asked quickly: "Since you have got so many shells, have you provided supplements for them?"
"Is that necessary," said Belkin. "In addition to sending people to send them a batch of shells, I also asked Captain Yefeim to send them an infantry platoon to provide cover for the artillery company."
"Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, you did it right." Sokov agreed with Belkin's approach: "The artillery company was originally deployed far away from infantry positions. Without the cover of infantry, the enemy could easily destroy them."
"With so many artillery in our hands, how should we allocate it?" Karsokov asked Sokov tentatively: "Are they allocated to each battalion in companies?"
"No, these cannons cannot be separated." Sokov shook his head and said, "We must use them in a concentrated manner to play the greatest role."
"Where are you going to deploy the artillery?" Karsokov asked.
Sokov pointed to a location on the map and said decisively: "Deploy the artillery in this position, so that no matter which battalion is attacked by the Germans, our artillery can provide them with artillery fire support in time," he said.
"Also," Karsokov continued, "One of our cannon battalions is 12 artillery, and now there are 30, so it is almost possible to form three artillery battalions..."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, we are just a brigade and we cannot have three artillery battalions." Sokov interrupted his later words before Karsokov finished speaking: "The artillery company sent by his superiors will not change. For the other 26 artillery, I think it is possible to form a reinforced artillery battalion. "Comrade Sokov said later, he asked Belkin, "How many artillery troops have you drawn the manpower to form?"
"158 people, comrade commander."
"A ZIS-3 type 76.2mm cannon requires 6 to 8 people to operate, the gun captain, loader, aiming hand, etc. In other words, the minimum 156 people are required for 26 cannons." Sokov frowned slightly: "The number of people is slightly smaller now, so they should be given some more hands."
"But I have selected all the officers and soldiers who have been artillerymen." Belkin said with some embarrassment: "Where will I go to find artillerymen again."
"Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, the newly added personnel may not necessarily be an artilleryman." Sokov explained to Belkin: "For example, the commander of the positions of deputy battalion commander and deputy company commander can be completely appointed by people who have never been an artilleryman."
After hearing Sokov's explanation, Belkin immediately understood: "I understand. I will select the personnel later and enrich the artillery battalion."
"Chief of Staff," Sokov turned to Karsokov again and said, "After the artillery position is established, you order the communication platoon to bring a telephone line over to facilitate our command of artillery operations."
"No problem. I will convey your meaning to the communications platoon leader later."
When the headquarters sent telecommunications equipment such as telephones and telephone lines to the infantry brigade, it also sent a communications squad. Sokov ordered Karsokov to select people who were telecommunications soldiers from among the soldiers and form a communications platoon. Since the communications platoon was formed after Belkin left, Belkin was not aware of it.
At this moment, when Sokov was arranging tasks for the communication squad, Berkin asked curiously: "Why, the superior sent us a communication squad?"
"No, comrade of the deputy brigade commander." Seeing that Belkin had misunderstood, Karsokov quickly explained to him: "In order to strengthen the communication power of the brigade, the brigade commander specially ordered me to draw soldiers who had been communication soldiers and form a communication platoon based on the communication squad sent by his superiors."
"Oh, so that's the case." After figuring out this, Belkin nodded and then said: "I was about to tell you that we found five or six radio stations, dozens of telephones, and a large number of telephone lines in the arsenal. We were preparing to find time to suggest you to expand the communications class in our hands. I didn't expect you to have considered this issue."
"There should be a lot of machine guns in the arsenal, right?" Sokov asked at Belkin.
Belkin nodded and replied: "After taking a inventory, there are 24 heavy machine guns and 145 light machine guns."
Sokov was overjoyed when he heard the data reported by Belkin. You should know that now there are only a dozen light machine guns per battalion, and the ammunition is very limited. Now that we have got so many light machine guns from the arsenal, we must allocate them to three battalions to strengthen their firepower.
"The 18 out of 24 heavy machine guns and 120 out of 145 light machine guns are all equally distributed to three battalions." Sokov said: "The remaining light and heavy machine guns are used to form a machine gun company, directly under the brigade headquarters. How about it, do you agree with my proposal?"
"Agree." Belkin and Karsokov nodded in agreement with Sokov's proposal: "With a special machine gun company, they can be used in important areas."
While the three were discussing the allocation of weapons and ammunition, the phone rang.
Karsokov picked up the phone and listened for a moment, with a happy look on his face: "Comrade Brigade Commander and Captain Nazorov, the Third Battalion Commander, reported that the search team they sent found an arsenal in the forest."
When he learned that Nazorov's search team also found the arsenal, Sokov quickly grabbed the microphone in Karsokov's hand and asked impatiently: "Comrade Captain, have you really found the hidden arsenal?"
"Yes, comrade comrade commander." Nazorov replied in a affirmative tone: "My subordinates reported to me that they had found a hidden arsenal in the depths of the dense forest."
"How many weapons and ammunition are there?" Sokov asked, "How far is it from the defense zone of your battalion?"
"It is five or six kilometers away from the defense zone of our battalion, and no more than one kilometer from friendly positions."
Upon hearing Nazorov's report, Sokov's heart sank, thinking that according to his agreement with the leader of the 1073rd Regiment, if the arsenal was discovered, the weapons and ammunition stored in it would have to be allocated by both sides. His people were too far from the arsenal. If both sides carried it at the same time, most of the weapons, ammunition and supplies would be moved away by the 1073rd Regiment.
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Nazorov found Sokov suddenly stopped talking and asked quickly: "Do you have any instructions?"
Sokov thought about it, but did not give any instructions immediately, but asked tentatively: "What equipment is there in the arsenal?"
"According to my subordinates' reports, there are more than a dozen artillery pieces and two tanks. In addition..."
"Wait," Sokov immediately became interested when he heard that there were tanks in the arsenal: "You said there were two tanks in the arsenal, right?"
"Yes, there are two tanks. They are the latest model of T-34 tanks."
"Where is the artillery?"
"The M-30 122mm howitzer." Nazorov replied: "There are 12 doors in total."
After hearing the name of the cannon Nazorov said, Sokov twitched twice, thinking that this was one of the best heavy cannons of the Soviet army at present, and that the power of one can be as powerful as several 76.2mm cannons.
"Captain Nazorov, listen." Sokov said in a trembling voice at the microphone, "I will send people to your battalion's defense zone immediately, and then you will send people to the arsenal and pull the tanks and artillery back."
"Pull the tanks and artillery back?" Nazorov knew the "gentleman agreement" between Sokov and the 1073rd Regiment, and hesitated, "Is this appropriate?"
"There's nothing wrong." Sokov knew very well that once two T-34 tanks and more than a dozen M-30 122mm howitzers were brought back, the firepower of his troops would be further strengthened, so he said firmly: "You just need to execute the orders, and you don't have to worry about the rest."
"Okay, comrade brigade commander." Since Sokov has already said this, Captain Nazorov, who is a subordinate, will naturally not sing a counter-topic: "You send someone here as soon as possible and try to get the technical equipment back as soon as possible."
After Sokov dropped the phone, he said to Belkin and Karsokov: "Deputy Brigade Commander, Chief of Staff, let me tell you good news. In the newly discovered arsenal, there are two latest models of T-34 tanks, as well as more than a dozen M-30 122mm howitzers. Now I plan to send people to get both the tank and the artillery back."
After hearing Sokov say this, Karsokov, who has the same concerns as Nazorov, carefully reminded Sokov: "Comrade Brigade Commander, if we bring the tanks and artillery back, will the comrades of the 1073rd Regiment have no objection, right?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, don't worry." Sokov waved his hand at Karsokov: "You know, this hidden arsenal was discovered by our soldiers. We only took away the tanks and artillery, and handed over the rest to the 1073rd Regiment. They have taken a big advantage and probably won't protest to us."
Although Sokov had already said this, Karsokov was still full of concerns. However, he did not speak out, but looked at Belkin, hoping that he would help him say a few words.
After weighing the interests, Berkin said, "Comrade Brigade Commander, I think I'd better communicate with the comrades of the 1073rd Regiment first and see what they mean." Seeing Sokov's face, he quickly added, "I think they would not object when they learned that we were planning to hand over the remaining weapons and ammunition to them as long as tanks and artillery."
"Then it's okay. I'll call the commander of the 1073rd Regiment later and inform him of this." Sokov said this, but he didn't call immediately. Instead, he said to Belkin: "Comrade Deputy Brigade Commander, have you drawn up personnel and formed a tank company? You will send a few tank soldiers to drive the tank back later."
"It's no problem to drive the tank back. After all, we have enough soldiers who have been tank soldiers now." Belkin raised concerns to Sokov: "But when we get back more than a dozen M-30 122mm howitzers, where can we find so many artillery soldiers?"
Before Sokov could express his opinion, Karsokov said first: "I think I can send a telegram to the Army Command, asking them to send us some experienced artillery soldiers to help us form another heavy artillery battalion."
As soon as Karsokov finished speaking, the image of a commander wearing round-framed glasses appeared in Sokov's mind. He said in a hearty laugh: "Captain Li Da, congratulations on your fortune." The equipment of a cavalry battalion that Commander Li Da had just obtained was "extorted" by the brigade commander before it could heat up. If he had obtained more than a dozen 122mm howitzers and was known by Rokosovsky, he might have turned into "Brigit Commander Chen" and took away all the heavy artillery he had just obtained.
"No, we can't report to our superiors." Belkin stopped Karsokov in time: "If our superiors knew that we had obtained more than a dozen 122mm howitzers, we would definitely order us to hand them over and give them to General Kazakov for unified command."
"What should we do?" Karsokov felt embarrassed after hearing what Belkin said: "If we don't report to our superiors, they will not send us artillery personnel; but if we report, they may take away the 122mm howitzer we obtained. What should we do?"
Belkin stared at Sokov and said to Karsokov: "Chief of Staff, I think it's up to the brigade commander to decide on this matter."
After repeated thinking, Sokov felt that he would not report this matter to the Army Command for the time being, so as not to be taken away by his superiors: "I saw that the 122mm howitzer was made, so I would not report it to the Army Command for the 122mm."
"But, if we don't report, where will we go to find artillery?" Karsokov reminded Sokov: "If there are no artillery, then these artillery are just a bunch of decorations."
"I think it is possible to draw personnel from the artillery reinforcement battalion to form a heavy artillery battalion." Sokov said: "In addition to retaining the gun captain, loader and aiming hand, the rest of the gunman is served by soldiers who have never been artillerymen. In this way, we have enough personnel to form a new heavy artillery battalion."
Regarding Sokov's arrangement, Belkin and Karsokov murmured a few words and nodded in agreement: "Comrade Brigade Commander, we agree with your plan. Draw personnel from the artillery reinforcement battalion to form a heavy artillery battalion."
"But we are only in a brigade-level system, and two artillery battalions suddenly emerged. If the superiors know, will they blame it?" Karsokov asked cautiously.
"Don't worry, the superiors just gave us an infantry brigade." Sokov waved his hand and said, "As for how many combat units there are, the superiors will not ask about it."